Tag: Unit 1 Summary

Blog post: Unit Summary

   Upon entering this class I had no formal knowledge on art and how to define its hidden meanings. However, throughout Unit 1 we went over the topics of Formal analysis and critical pedagogy. This allowed me to understand how to look and define a painting/artwork not only on what I see but on how to look and interpret the artists techniques. After we analyzed the paintings of the 2 women. I bagan to see past the large picture and started to examine the different elements of the works. Whether it be their similarities or differences.

   Formal Analysis can be defined simple as exploring the visual effects the work has on the viewer and what the artist wanted to accomplish visually. This method focuses primarily on questioning the visual and physical aspect of the artwork. Focusing on lines,shapes,color schemes,texture, form,etc. It’s questioning the work and looking for the answer in the work itself.  In examine both paintings of women we learned on how the artists used different types of shading and colors to emphasize or deemphasize certain points in the paintings.

   In one of our readings the Pedagogy of the Oppressed we were introduced into the idea of the banking model of education . To Friere the banking model is a representation of the detached education system. He believed that the banking model of education simply states that a teacher has all the knowledge and therefore the teacher must “deposit” the knowledge they have into the students, who then memorize the information instead of fully understanding the information given. This sort of detached learning entails that education will not allow students to express their own interest or creativity.  

   Since learning these 2 topics my understanding for art has further expanded. I am now aware on how to appreciate art and how to interpret what the artist may have been trying to tell the viewer.

Unit 1 Summary

In Unit 1 of the class, we learned quite a few concepts. Paolo Freire insists on a “Banking Model of education” as a way to criticize the education system. Teachers are those who oppress students and exploit their power. Students are seen as empty vessels, containers even, through the “art of depositing,” we are filled with information. Teachers inherently have this robotic system of depositing and repeating. This cycle, Paolo Friere says is not how it should be. Ideally, there would be more cognition and dialogue exchanged and even a mutual, fair relationship. Cognitive objects should not be held hostage in the oppressors possession.

Additionally, we delved into formal analysis. Formal analysis helps us understand and appreciate works of art as they were intended to be. Through formal analysis, we determine the physical aspects of a piece. We point out the lines, colors and shapes of what we can see. An individual may be able to decide on deeper meanings of the piece through the composition that the artist drew it in. Discussions of it’s historical or mythological context arise as well. With formal analysis, we can categorize works of art together or separate them by what you initially see at first glance or given more time, a more thorough breakdown. We pinpoint all details that are essentially seen at first glance without referring to outside resources.

Through these concepts, I was able to appreciate works of art more. With formal analysis, I can see paintings as more than just a painting. It is more descriptive than that. It can be a red painting with a woman sitting up front as the subject. With the banking model in mind, I am able to more freely depict works of art as I may. Rather, I can imagine a more simple teacher-student relationship from now on.

Unit #1 Summary

The first unit of Art 1010 taught me a lot about the fundamentals of art and how one can interpret a piece of art work. The two main topics that we focus on throughout the unit were Critical Pedagogy and Formal Analysis. Critical Pedagogy was established in 1968 thanks to the publishing of Paolo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”. Critical Pedagogy is the ideal form of teaching in which the students are equal to the teachers instead of being under them. This ideal form of teaching gives the students freedom to question their teachers about what they are being taught instead of them just sitting quietly without actually comprehending what they are taught, this improper way of teaching is known as the Banking Model.

The Banking Model is the complete opposite of Critical Pedagogy. The Banking Model is a form of teaching in which the teacher deposits information into the students who are empty vessels patiently waiting to receive, memorize, and repeat the information they have been given. Paolo Freire, along with others, believed that the Banking Model was an improper way of teaching because the students never actually gain any knowledge from the information they are given. Instead of actually learning and comprehending what they are taught they take the information they are given, memorize it and use it to get good grades on test. Once they are done with the test and no longer need the information they forget about it and instead focus on other information that they’ll need for another test later on, this is a cycle that is repeated constantly in the Banking Model. Although it has been half a century since Critical Pedagogy was established it is still important to me and others in society today since improper forms of teaching, such as the banking model, are still being used today. Schools and society in general still have the mindset that the higher GPA that someone has the smarter they are but in reality this isn’t true since someone’s GPA measures how well they do in school not how intelligent they truly are.

Formal Analysis was another one of our main focuses throughout this unit. Formal Analysis is when someone tries to understand what the artist is wanted to portray in their work. By using features of a piece of art such as color, line, scale, contrast, position, material, illusion, space and mass we can try to understand what an artist tried to convey in their creation. An example of formal analysis is when we observe the colors used in a piece of art. Artist use cold colors, such as blue and grey, to portray a negative/sad mood and them also use warm colors, such as red and orange, to portray a positive/happy mood. A different type of analysis that can be connected to Formal Analysis is Contextual Analysis. Contextual Analysis is when someone uses external resources such as articles, other works of art, journals, and artist writings to try and understand what a certain piece of art is about. These external resources can also be used to gather information about when a piece of art was created and what the artist wanted to convey to others about the era they in which they their artwork off.

Unit 1 Summary

In Unit 1 of my art history class I have learned many things about art, such as what it is and how it is viewed through formal analysis and critical pedagogy. Art is an expression that comes in all different shapes and sizes, such as musical arts, performing arts, and etc. Art can also be found in fields like Science, Math, and English. Art is a creative platform for people to express their feelings and emotions in a piece of work. Art is a way for me to express myself and interact with other artists about how they feel about a certain piece. Some people are inspired by certain art pieces while people like myself look at art as a way to escape boredom.
Formal Analysis is a way to specifically describe a piece of art work. It is a representation of how a piece of art is viewed. The viewer evaluates the piece of art through a series of questions such as how the piece came to be, who or what it portrays, when the piece was created, and etc. There are multiple characteristics used when the viewer uses formal analysis to describe and explain a piece of art. Characteristics such as contrast, size/scale, line, color, position, composition, material, illusionism, mimesis, modelling, chiaro/scuro, and depth. The main reason formal analysis is used when evaluating and describing a piece of art is to show the central focus, what is most important about a piece of work, and for the artist to express the painting, drawing or etc. by showing the viewer instead of telling the viewer what goes on in the piece of work. When we say formal analysis it basically means evaluating what the artist left us to view and how this work came to be, historically and physically throughout time. With formal analysis we can conclude what the artist has done based on their piece of work and how that brush stroke or whatever it may be represents what we see and not what we know.
Paulo Freire was a Brazilian educator and philosopher that used the term “banking model” to describe and critique the traditional educational system. According to Freire, it is a method of educating where an educator teaches a student and the student must retain that knowledge, for example, the students are empty containers that need to be filled with the knowledge from the educators. This method allows educators to be empowered because they are the ones who can differentiate right from wrong and their teachings are passed down to the students. Meanwhile, the students are the ones that are dis-empowered, due to the lack of freedom of expression and creativity towards these teachings, and being forced to only accept the information given to them by the educator. This comes out of the students expense since they are not able to express themselves through questioning and creativity, while they are only being filled with information from the educator temporarily and will soon forget the teachings once the course is complete.
What I have learned from Unit 1 so far is the basics of art, how it was created and noticed as art. I have learned many ways to evaluate art by including various components to view it from different perspectives. When artists create a piece of artwork it is for the viewer to determine and discover what the story of that piece of art is and the meaning behind it. Through Unit 1 I have learned to look at art differently than how I used to, by using formal analysis it has taught me to look at the pieces of art with a different perspective.